How well should my 5 yr old be able to read??

[NellyTheElephant]

I had given this little thought. DD is in reception and very happy at school. She gets a book sent home every weekend (Jelly & Bean series) and we are slowly working through that series. She reads simple words fairly fluently and can sound out letters and get there eventually on longer words provided they are phonetic rather than words with unusual pronunciation. Writing - if writing a card she can write some simple words (e.g. Dear / love / from) with no assistance but will need me to spell out the rest of the message for her to write. Her writing is not joined up and is still 'baby' writing - by which I mean it is probably about twice the size of an adult's writing. I thought she was doing fine and her teachers haven't brought up any issues.

We spent yesterday with DD's cousin, who is also 5 (although a few months younger than DD). I am currently reading DD The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe. We were all sitting and I was reading the book. DD wanted another chapter and I didn't want to read any more - so my niece picked up the book and read the next chapter to DD (as far as I could tell no hesitations or problems with a single word). She also had to write a letter and I said I would help her, but in fact I simply watched her as she wrote a full side of paper with no help from anyone, joined up writing, adult sized. I read it over and she had a couple of very minor spelling mistakes and one crossed out word.

Now I accept my niece is probably better than many children of her age, but I am now in a panic about DD - it's not as if they are at opposite ends of the same spectrum with DN being sightly better and DD slightly behind - they are on completely different spectrums. There is literally no comparison.

How did DD get so far behind? What should I be doing to catch up (other than working on the books that are sent home with her which we do already)? DD felt really down about it too and asked me why she could read like her cousin (she so loves books and longs to be able to read properly), I said we just needed to practice a bit more and she'd soon get there - but in truth I just don't see her getting to that sort of level for.... well I have no idea when she might be able to read like that.

sounds like the cousin is a bit of a genius and your dd is doing really well too. don't fret

I agree, they are both doing really well.

Your dd is NOT behind!

Now, I'd be worried if you were discussing 2 9 yr old, but at 5??? It sounds like your dd is doing well and is progressing.

Ds wasn't able to read/write as well as your dd at 5 (and couldn't care less). He is now nearly 8 and can read/write etc etc etc

I always say about reading: they all get there and once they do, they don't get any better at it. So don't fret. And you certainly shouldn't be letting your dd worry about it.

From what I've seen (I have a 5 yo dd too), your dd sounds absolutely normal and her cousin is quite far ahead for her age. But your dd will be at the same level as her in a few months. So you don't need to do anything.

You DD is doing well for a five year old. Her cousin is very advanced and could be desribed as gifted.

Children progress as different speeds in different skills so you DD is no doubt ahead in other areas. They'll probably be the same in a couple of years.

Don't be tempted to push your DD to help her to catch up.
She's going at the rate which is right for her and that is the most important thing by a long way.

What squeaver wrote. Very good post!

Just as a comparison for you, if it helps - here in Switzerland children do not start formal school until the age of 6, and they do not learn to read and write until then. My dd will be 7 when she starts due to when her birthday falls in the year (she is 6 now and in Kindergarten).

She has taught herself to read a few things, and can write her name and a few other words. That's it. Occasionally I panic when I compare her to UK kids, but she is actually more advanced than her peers here and believe me, by the end of primary school the Swiss children have more than caught up with the UK.

So it sounds to me like your dd is doing fine and will catch up with your niece soon enough.

Your DD is definitely doing just fine, probably better than a lot of her peers; her cousin sounds advanced enough to be gifted and talented. Which is all well and lovely for her, but nothing you (and most definitely not your DD) should worry about. I know it's hard but try not to compare them; they are just different children.

FWIW, DS1 is in Y1 and I doubt that many of them in his class are at your niece's ability level yet either (DS certainly isn't ). Some children will be, of course, but lots of them won't. There is a huge, huge range of 'normal' at this age, and the early fluent readers will not necessarily end up any better at literacy than those who become fluent later on. My mum is fond of telling me that in Y1 I would only ever write one sentence in my 'News' page at school...other children were writing pages and pages....didn't stop me getting an English Lit degree further down the line, though

Just keep reading with her, give her lots of praise and encouragement and tell her you're really proud and think she's fantastic. That's all you need to do.

No idea, my 6-year-old certainly can't and the teacher is not worried.

Your dd sounds like mine at that age. Doing really well
and now yr 2 she is one of the better readers so don't panic!
Now my ds1 is 16 yr11 and profoundly gifted across the board ( got laughed off mn yrs ago about it but proof is in the pudding etc)
he was Reading Narnia in reception aged 5...
Teachers were disbelieving but then it was Harry Potter
so both your dd and your niece sound fabulous!
Panic not

what diet coke said - especially as my DS 5.9 (yr1) can still only write one sentence My friends dd 6.6 and yr 1 considered high ability and she's not quite as able as your DN so agree she is G&T.

Your DD is where she should be therefore will find school interesting and challenging and therefore enjoyable.

Wow your neice sounds very gifted and please feel reassured that this is not the norm, your dd sounds bang on It for her age to be honest.

My ds is 5, in reception and on jelly and bean books too. He is Reading the teapot at the min. I went to waterstones at weekend and bought him a couple of more fun Reading books for his age. Is it the Oxford tree ones? He still sounds out words he needs to but is becoming better at sight reading. His writing is same as your dd but possibly bigger! Lol

DD1 is in Y1, but still 5.
She isn't as advanced as your DN, but writes (very) short stories and is reading chapter books.
The school have put her on the g&t register for literacy.

Your DD sounds like she is doing fine.
DD1 was at a similar stage this time last year.
We visited friends who have a DD a year older, she was reading Horrid Henry books with no help.
It didn't seem possible that DD1 would be at the point in a year, but she is.

Your niece sounds very advanced for her age. I think your DD is reading and writing fine.

My DS1 (5 next week) was assessed by his teacher last week and knows all 26 letter sounds and 13 two-letter sounds. He recognises 56 key words by sight. Is that normal? I don't know. But he enjoys reading and writing and is getting better as he gets older and I guess really that's all that matters.